W. Chicago fire victims moved by donations

Vanessa Roth of Puenta del Pueblo talks with Timber Lakes resident Jose Rodriguez while volunteers Chuck Sahly of Winfield and Norberto Camargo of Bartlett move new furniture into the apartment of one of eight families who were living in the apartments damaged by a fire Nov. 4. Rodriguez lost his belongings in the fire and was waiting for his delivery -- but also was ready to help out.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Christopher Rangel, 12, watches as volunteer Marty Franklin of Wheaton helps move in new and donated furniture for his family at the Timber Lakes apartments in West Chicago on Saturday. Eight families were living in the apartments damaged by a fire on Nov. 4. Community Outreach Ministries and Wheaton Bible Church worked with the West Chicago community to gather and fund the replacement furniture.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Jose Rodriguez and his sons are one of eight families living in the apartments damaged by fire on November 4. Community Outreach Ministries and Wheaton Bible Church worked with the West Chicago community to gather and fund the replacement furniture.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Jose Rodriguez talks with Vanessa Roth of Puenta del Pueblo before his new replacement furniture is moved into his apartment at Timber Lakes. Rodriguez and his sons are one of the eight families who were living in the apartments damaged by fire Nov. 4. Community Outreach Ministries and Wheaton Bible Church worked with the West Chicago community to gather and fund the replacement furniture.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Juana Beltran holds her son, Alexis, 2, and watches as the Rev. Jeff Walser of Wheaton Bible Church helps move furniture into her apartment at the Timber Lakes complex in West Chicago on Saturday. Eight families were living in the apartments damaged by a fire on Nov. 4. Community Outreach Ministries and Wheaton Bible Church worked with the West Chicago community to gather and fund the replacement furniture.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Alexis Rangel, 2, plays in top part of a new curio cabinet delivered to his parents, Juana Beltran and Jose Rangel, on Saturday. They were one of eight families living in the apartments damaged by fire on Nov. 4. Community Outreach Ministries and Wheaton Bible Church worked with the West Chicago community to gather and fund the replacement furniture.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Jessica Cesar helps a volunteer move couch pillows into her building at the Timber Lakes apartments in West Chicago on Saturday. Eight families were living in the apartments damaged by fire Nov. 4. Community Outreach Ministries and Wheaton Bible Church worked with the West Chicago community to gather and fund the replacement furniture.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

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But on Saturday, Rodriguez and others fire survivors received not only the gift of new furniture and mattresses but, more importantly, a return to normalcy and a renewed hope.

Truckloads of furnishings rolled into the complex, past the charred 24-unit building, and into the arms of Wheaton Bible Church volunteers, who helped unload.

Rodriguez initially ignored the pounding on his door the morning of Nov. 4. When he realized it was an emergency, he threw on some clothes and ran. He's been trying to get his life together since, without car keys, important documents and other necessities.

His possessions were "not worth a lot of money, but it's all I have," Rodriguez explained. Watching furniture being carried into units in the complex, Rodriguez said he was "overwhelmed. I feel extremely comforted by everyone helping out."

The aid operation was a joint effort of Outreach Community Ministries and Wheaton Bible Church. The two organizations run Puente del Pueblo, a community center at Timber Lake offering after-school care, literacy classes and counseling.

"Folks in this complex are mostly lower-income, struggling from paycheck to paycheck," said Vanessa Roth, Outreach Community Ministries chief operating officer.

The fire hit residents hard, but it also brought out the best in the community.

On the day of the fire, local teens started a collection for displaced tenants while Puente del Pueblo workers ensured every family had essentials including blankets and a change of clothes.

Donations from Wheaton Bible Church began pouring in and, with help from local businesses like Sleep Innovations and Jubilee Furniture, residents received coupons to purchase furnishings last week.

"It wasn't just, 'Here's a plaid couch,'" Roth said. "We wanted people to be able to shop for furniture. We wanted them to have that dignity."

Christopher was on the computer Nov. 4 when, "I heard a lady screaming, 'the building is on fire!' and I got scared," he remembered. "I ran out with nothing, just pants and a shirt, no socks, no nothing."

Along with material losses like rent money, mom Juana Beltran said her heart aches from missing irreplaceable videos of the kids and cherished jewelry.

"All the things we lost we can't get back because they're all burned," Christopher said.

But the family is grateful for the good wishes of total strangers and to be together.

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